Not Monet's Waterlilies

Earlier this year, while visiting the newly renovated Getty Villa in Malibu, I spotted these waterlilies. A favorite of Claude Monet, who designed his gardens at Giverny, France to accommodate them, these lilies pale by comparison. Although nicely focused as a landscape feature, there were very few compared to the large pond of them Monet used as inspiration for many paintings.

"Not Monet's Waterlilies" © Kathy Dunham 2009

Snow in the Desert

Remember, I promised you more snow? It rained all day yesterday and it was cold. That meant we should have snow. And I wasn't disappointed. This morning I awoke to a sunny day and snow on all the mountains surrounding the Coachella Valley. This is a view from my driveway. Looking southwest. I felt I could reach out and touch the hills it was so clear. By this afternoon a lot of the snow had melted but what a sight we had this morning.

"Snow in the Desert" © Kathy Dunham 2008

California Fuchsia

Living in the desert makes one appreciate the beauty of plants that have adapted to hot, dry climates. Drought tolerant and native plants are becoming more popular as they are easier to grow and require less water. We've been going through a drought for a while and so many people complain that they want their "colorful" flowers and plants, the ones which require lots of maintenance and water. But what they don't know is that there is a world of plants that provide lots of color yet are more adaptive to our desert conditions. And yes, Southern California is a desert. All of Southern California. Not just where I live. If it hadn't been for L.A. stealing the Owens Lake, they'd be dry like we are. This native fuchsia, "California Fuchsia" was in full bloom in Santa Barbara this past weekend. It's bright red-orange flowers cover the bush and paint the hills with a warm glow. Think about your choices the next time you plant your garden. Native plants are beautiful and provide lots of color.

"California Fuchsia" © Kathy Dunham 2008